By Festus Ahon
UGHELLI — A Constitutional lawyer, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga-Odje, has urged the National Assembly to retain the use of the old 1999 constitution for the 2011 elections.

Odje stated this as guest speaker on the topic ‘50 Years of Nigerian Independence: The Journey So Far’ during the Government College Ughelli, GCU, Old Boys Annual Dinner.

He noted that the hitherto unamended 1999 constitution, by virtue of Sections 76(2), 116(2), 132(2) and 178(2) of the 1999, had already given the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, up to April 29,  2011 to conduct the 2011 elections.

This, he argued has made the further amendment of the already amended 1999 constitution to extend the time to April for INEC,  unnecessary.

He also noted that for “one man one vote” to have any legal or constitutional support, a voter should be included under Section 137 of the Electoral Act 2010 as one of the persons who  can file an election petition to defend his or her vote.